I would like first of all, on behalf of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as independent constraints prevented its willingness to be with us, thank the Rwandan Presidency Security for taking the initiative in this important debate on the partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations in the field of peacekeeping. In doing so, the Government of Rwanda demonstrates, once again, its unwavering commitment to strengthening the partnership between the African Union and the UN, as well as promotion, alongside two other African members of the Council, namely Nigeria and Chad, objectives and positions of the continent. We highly appreciate the invaluable contribution of Rwanda to support operations and maintenance led peace in Africa.

Certainly, today's debate is timely, occurring in a context marked by a commitment increasingly supported on the ground of the African Union and its Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution conflicts. It offers us an opportunity to take stock of our joint efforts and agree on practical steps to strengthen our collective to the challenges we face in the field of peace and security capacity.

Engaging in this debate, we must build on previous deliberations of the Security Council on the partnership between the UN and regional organizations, including the financing of the operations conducted by the African Union, including proceedings initiated by the South Africa when that country has served in this august body. This is an opportunity for me to salute the continuity of African action at the Security Council, it is undeniably a guarantee of efficiency, and strengthening coordination among the three African members of the instance, in the context of what we call the A3.

We also need to build on the rich experience gained in recent years. Sudanese Darfur region of Mali, through the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and the Central African Republic are now many examples of the benefits and potential of a flexible approach to the challenges to peace and security on the continent and the need to maximize complementarity between the UN and regional arrangements, in particular the African Union.

Allow me also to express our appreciation to the Security Council for the attention it continues to attach to the promotion of peace and security on the continent and support to African efforts. The extension module logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia, deploying multiple operations peacekeeping on the continent, and many other initiatives are an eloquent illustration.

I would like, finally, to reiterate the gratitude of the African Union to the Secretary General of the United Nations for his tireless commitment to peace, security and stability on the continent. I note with satisfaction the continued strengthening of the partnership between the UN Secretariat and the Commission of the African Union in the framework of the relevant provisions of the Charter, in particular its Chapter 8, and the guidance of decision-making bodies that are the Security Council of the UN and the AU Peace and Security of the African Union.

Mr President of the Security Council,

Ladies and gentlemen,

In recent years, the African Union and its regional mechanisms have proven their determination to fully play their role in promoting peace, security and stability on the continent. Nothing better illustrates this commitment that the deployment of several operations in support of peace in different regions of Africa. In doing so, it is for Africa not only to give effect to the relevant provisions of the Protocol establishing the Peace and Security of the African Union, but also to contribute to a process of complementarity with the UN, collective security as provided by the UN Charter.

Indeed, most of the operations to support African-led peace aimed at creating conditions for the subsequent establishment by the United Nations, multidimensional missions of peacekeeping to support long-term stabilization countries concerned and their socio-economic recovery. They operate in unstable environments where peace is not really established. Their success requires taking significant risks and use, as necessary, coercive measures to promote precisely the advent of favorable conditions for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission of peace.

It is in this spirit that the African Union has deployed its Mission in Darfur before it is transformed into a hybrid operation, namely UNAMID. Based on sound and innovative combination of comparative advantages of the African Union and the United Nations, this transaction by its nature, witnessed an undeniable ability to adapt to the situation. I would like to pay tribute to UNAMID and its management for outstanding work in the field under conditions made all the more difficult as the number of armed groups, despite the efforts made to this end by the Joint Chief Mediator and other international actors have not yet joined the peace process.

It is also in this spirit that the African Union and the Regional Mechanisms concerned, namely ECOWAS and ECCAS, deployed operations in Mali, with MISMA, and Central African Republic, with MISCA. The UN has already taken over from the first through the MINUSMA and prepare to integrate MISCA within the MINUSCA. It is obvious that the initial stabilization effort undertaken by the MISMA and MISCA and personal sacrifices of these missions have greatly facilitated the task of the United Nations. I pay tribute to the countries contributing troops and police personnel for their commitment and determination.

Finally, it is in this spirit that operates the African Union Mission in Somalia. Clearly, in seven years of deployment, AMISOM and the Somali Security Forces have made remarkable progress in the fight against al-Shabaab terrorist group and the extension of state authority. These results we have such personal courage of the Mission and the enormous sacrifices made by the region through IGAD and the troop-contributing countries and police personnel. I reiterate the gratitude of the African Union. At the same time, we must recognize that much remains to be done to create the right conditions for a more sustained international engagement, including through a conventional operation peacekeeping UN.

All these examples demonstrate the close complementarity between the African action and the UN, which participate both, promotion of collective security as conceived by the Charter. They suffice to show that, given the nature of increasingly complex challenges to peace and security challenges the continent faces, success lies in the consistency of our goals, judicious and flexible use of available resources, our combined efforts and coordination of our actions on the field.

It is with this conviction that the African Union is, for several years, the lawyer of a dynamic partnership between the UN and regional organizations, based on a flexible and innovative interpretation of the provisions of Chapter 8 of the UN Charter. The Peace and Security of the African Union, at its meeting held in New York last September, reiterated the importance of such an approach and reiterated the principles that should underlie it.

Frankly, significant progress has been made. As I pointed out earlier, the coordination between the UN Secretariat and the Commission of the African Union is getting stronger. Turning more specifically to support operations in peace, we look forward to the crucial support rendered by the UN Secretariat in the field of planning, as well as the conduct and support missions, such as illustrate particular examples of MISMA and MISCA.

The Security Council and the Peace and security are also working to strengthen their partnership and to promote greater synergy between the UN and the African Union. From this point of view, the decision of the Security Council to authorize the establishment of a logistics module support for AMISOM could not be more eloquent. It is clear that the results obtained are, for many, this support and that brought by other bilateral and multilateral partners, particularly the European Union and the United States of America. More recently, the establishment, with reinforced mandates an Intervention Brigade in MONUSCO and a protection force in UNMISS, whose numbers are filled by African countries, provided a further illustration of the benefits of an innovative partnership between African actors and the United Nations.

While welcoming these developments, the African Union is convinced of the need to go further and innovate further, as it is true that our capacity for action and our effectiveness would be greatly enhanced. I would like in this connection, place a particular emphasis on the issue of funding for African operations to support peace. The experience of recent years has amply demonstrated that one of the major constraints faced by the African Union and its regional mechanisms addresses the issue of flexible financing, sustainable and predictable operations.

It is crucial that a lasting solution to this question. The recommendations of the Prodi report, based on a thorough analysis of the evolution of peacekeeping and challenges thereto, remain more than ever. The case of Somalia through AMISOM, has shown that a judicious combination of funding from contributions to cover UN and resources provided on a voluntary basis by the European Union and other partners, provides the safest way to advance our common goals. We urge the Security Council to take decisions expected of him on the issue of funding, bearing in mind that taking the initiative to deploy field operations, the AU and the Regional Mechanisms act on behalf of the Council security, which has primary responsibility for maintaining peace and international security.

Mr President of the Security Council,

Ladies and gentlemen,

By calling the Security Council to help find a lasting solution to the issue of financing transactions to support African-led peace, I obviously do not lose sight of the responsibilities are those of the continent. From this point of view, there is little doubt that the African countries, in addition to providing troops and police personnel required for operations deployed in the field and can not be overemphasized, huge sacrifices in this framework, have significantly increased their contributions to fund these operations. The resources provided by African countries during appeal fund conferences organized by the African Union for the MISMA and MISCA are testimony to this renewed commitment. The commitment will be pursued in the broader mobilization increased at continental level to finance the African Union on a more sustainable footing resources context. However, it is understood that this effort does not replace the responsibility that the Security Council in maintaining peace and international security.

I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the international partners who support our operations. The funding provided by the European Union through the Peace Facility for Africa, and other partners, as well as logistical support from the United States, have greatly facilitated the action of ours.

Parallel deployment support operations to peace, the African Union is also working on building long-term capabilities through the operationalization of the African Standby Force. It will find more fitting responses to some of the shortcomings identified in the recently conducted by the African Union operations, whether they relate to planning, force generation, command and control or support missions. Based on the recommendations of Gambari Evaluation Report of the African Standby Force and its capacity for rapid deployment, number of measures are being implemented with the aim of achieving full operational capability in 2015. We welcome the renewed UN to accompany us on this path commitment, and based on the recommendations of the advisory mission which visited Addis Ababa in late May 2014. Meanwhile, the implementation establishment of the African Capacity immediate response to crises should strengthen significantly as our rapid response to emergency situations as its robustness.

In conclusion, I express the hope that this meeting of the Security Council marks a new step in strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations, particularly the African Union. The complex challenges we face require more than ever greater synergy actions, more flexibility in the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Charter and more flexibility in the use of tools at our disposal. In this regard, besides the issue of funding for African operations in support of peace, we must pay more attention to how to pass from an African operation in a UN operation. We look forward to the exercise of feedback that the UN Secretariat shall, in consultation with the African Union, the transition between the MISMA and MINUSMA and the imminent between MISCA and MINUSCA. This should be an opportunity for an open and constructive debate on how best for a successful African operation to a UN operation way. It should not avoid any of the issues involved, whether the time within which should make the transition, keeping in view that the creation of conditions conducive to a successful succession by the UN requires time, the political role of the African Union and its regional mechanisms in the post-transition or the appointment of senior staff the new Mission.